The Mr. M Tradition Continues At MVHS

By BENJAMIN LEAVITT

Moapa Valley Progress

The Mr. M pageant returned from a brief hiatus on Wednesday, May 2. The traditional M Week talent show and beauty pageant-styled contest for the male students at the Moapa Valley High School has been missing for the past couple of years because of a lack of competitors signing up.

This year’s competition was a return to form, in more ways than one. In recent years, the high school had experimented with audience voting and allowing underclass competitors. However, this year the event went back to five judges selecting a winner from a fleet of all senior boys.

The six contestants included Zachary Anderson, Gage Hanley, Tyler Holmes, Kasen Kolhoss, Chase LaCroix, and Nathan Waite. As each contestant introduced himself with a pre-selected song and dance, they set a tone of loose and self-conscious fun.

MVHS senior girls Morgan Aikele and Abby Rose served as masters of ceremony for the night. They followed suit with their trademark awkward humor. Everyone on stage was smiling the whole night, letting the audience know that the night was all about feeling good and laughing hard.

After the introductions, the boys modeled their activewear. All wore their own shorts and t-shirts, except for Kasen Kolhoss who humorously paraded around in rented school gym clothes.

The night quickly turned to the main attraction: the young men showing off their respective talents. Nathan Waite was first, demonstrating his prodigious juggling and joke-telling prowess.

Tyler Holmes performed next by eating canned whipped cream. The judges were skeptical of the difficulty and skill behind this task. But Tyler proved the talent to be more than mere comedy. He launched streams of whipped cream high into the air, before catching them all skillfully in his mouth.
Kolhoss brought a full food service table on stage in order to make an intentionally disgusting sandwich, all while cracking jokes at the expense of himself and his assistant Abby Rose.

Then, in his own words, Gage Hanley “took advantage of the situation,” by eating Kasen’s sandwich as his talent.

Fifth in line, Zachary Anderson donned a full suit and tie for his performance. He brought out a grand piano and saxophone, and played both parts to a duet by himself.

Finally, Chase LaCroix brought Gary Leavitt onstage. He was about to shave Leavitt’s head as his talent, until he was reminded that Gary was to be going to prom on the following evening, and that his date was also in the theatre. A planned full shave turned into neat trim, and the night moved on.

The competitors then modeled their evening wear. For most this mercifully meant slick suits and ties. But Zachary Anderson donned a silk night robe and continued wearing it for the rest of the night.
Judges asked the candidates interview questions; from what was each boy’s ideal date, to what they suggested needed change in the school.

Zachary, Chase, and Kasen were chosen as finalists, and a set of final questions were asked before the judges could decide a winner. Of course, while the judges deliberated, the crowd demanded a dance off.
Tyler Holmes was awarded most photogenic in the group. But in the end, Chase LaCroix ultimately took the title as the “2018-2019 Mr. M.”

In his acceptance speech, LaCroix said that “anyone here deserved to win.” It was an optimistic end to happy night.